AR or the Augmented Reality is the new phase in town ! Reality superempowered with virtual world. As the researchers say, the capsule of learning encapsulates sense of interface with multiple vistas of innovation and pride.

In a layman’s voice, the ‘Augmented Reality,’ is a concept which combines the real and the virtual, giving people a view of reality which has been tweaked, enhanced or augmented. The utility is with the usage of smartphones. The delivery of digital learning at pace in the classrooms of today has paved a reverberating demand to explore anything of innovation and desire to generate a WOW- Wonder of Wonders within the classrooms of today.

The Evaluation of AR:

Although augmented reality may seem like the stuff of science fiction, researchers have been building prototype system for more than three decades. The first was developed in the 1960s by computer graphics pioneer Ivan Surtherland and his students at Harvard University. In the 1970s and 1980s a small number of researchers studied augmented reality at institution such as the U.S. Air Force’s Armstrong Laboratory, the NASA Ames Research Center and the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the term “Augmented Reality “was coined by scientists at Boeing who were developing an experimental AR system to help workers assemble wiring arnesses. In 1996 developers at Columbia University develop ‘The Touring Machine’ In 2001 MIT came up with a very compact AR system known as “MIThrill”. Presently research is being done in developing BARS (Battlefield Augmented Reality Systems) by engineers at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. Of late the revolution has paved over scores of software to supplement the AR in action.

The showcases and road shows are clubbed in conjunction with AR to make the same an event of fun, frolic and participatory. The simple sound byte with a video can be shared at the youtube presence of the Mahindra XUV500 Augmented Reality at Auto Expo 2012 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA-2ElU9Qs8 It very rightly justifies that Augmented Reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics.

What some may call an 'unsurprising' 71% of 16 to 24-years-olds own smartphones, so why aren't teachers utilising these in the classroom or campus? AR shouldn't be another monster under the bed (or desk), says Judy Bloxham – used intelligently, it provides new ways for learners to access content and knowledge.

The time demands and so does the scenario. Is the use of these devices going to detract from the learning process or contribute to future workplace skills? Should teachers be using techniques such as augmented reality (AR) to engage students and develop their skills for the modern world? Well, I say 'yes', quotes: Bloxham.

The beauty lies in the output which is generated. As per the researchers, AR allows people to add digital content to printed material, geographic locations and objects. Then using a smart device or tablet, viewers can scan an object and the digital content will appear. The digital information can range from a link to a website, an invitation to make a phone call, a video, a 3D model or any other supported digital information.

The knowledge base pokes of the co-existence of this practice with the march of time. AR provides a more effective way to enable learners to access content. A 'QR code' is simply a short cut to a URL – it has no other meaning in its own right. Many AR platforms use a visual browser to recognise an image. There is no need to add a special symbol to trigger the content. A simple image based example is like below:

WORKING:

AR system tracks the position and orientation of the user’s head so that the overlaid material can be aligned with the user’s view of the world. Through this process, known as registration, graphics software can place a three dimensional image of a tea cup, for example on top of a real saucer and keep the virtual cup fixed in that position as the user moves about the room. AR systems employ some of the same hardware technologies used in virtual reality research, but there’s a crucial differences: whereas virtual reality brashly aims to replace the real world, augmented reality respectfully supplement it.

The trigger can be a source of information in its own right, it can give a clue about what the extra content may be, yet also still provide a message for anyone unable to access the extras. It may sound far-fetched, none the less, Augmented Reality is in, for educational purposes which can be simply defined as an interactive 3D environment which links physical reality and the virtual world by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The ultimate is that, the Augmented Reality will be widely used within the near future. In the words of V Rao, Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer.

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